You might offer a great product or a great service. But if your customer service is bad, the news will spread like wildfire.
With Facebook, Twitter, TrustPilot and social media in general everyone’s experiences are made public, so your customer service must be good if you want good reviews – more importantly good Customer Service actually makes you money from increased sales!
I was speaking with a Commercial Vacuum Cleaner manufacturer who thought that the right Google Ads campaign would be all that he needed. The trouble is buyers have questions and NOT all of them want to read the FAQ’s!
Here are some ways that you can avoid the high cost of bad customer service.
- Keep your customer at the centre,
- leverage some clever technology,
- Help your customers choose the most appropriate product/service for their needs
Focus on the customers needs and how you can help solve them and your business will succeed.
How do you differentiate yourself as a business owner?
Living in and working in the online world means we always have abundant options available to us. It’s easy to find alternatives – similar products, services, cost, delivery options, and the list goes on.
If you want a competitive edge, you need to be different. Why should customers choose you?
Rather than focusing on how to compete with others, focus on how well you can
- define your skill set,
- knowledge, and
- ideas for how the business will grow and transform.
CASE STUDY: Derek the Mortgage Broker
Derek Farmer is a successful Mortgage Broker in Sydney and he realised that he would only succeed if he got back to his clients quickly and with valuable information. If you send him a message at 9pm at night or on the weekend you’ll get a prompt reply and update about your loan application.
Google Ads Can Cost Too Much
The Commercial Vacuum Cleaner company I mentioned earlier has spent a lot of money on Google Ads and it was set up properly by a professional digital agency but it was costing more than it was making.
Google Ads and any other ad for that matter has one main purpose – to get a potential buyer to your website. It’s what happens at your website and the Customer Service Experience you provide that makes a bigger difference – particularly when all your competitors are making similar claims.
How well do you know your customers?
A great business has customer engagement as the centre. Get to know your customers and let them get to know you and what you do.
Understanding comes from active listening, asking questions, and showing genuine interest.
Once you know your customers you can problem-solve for them and respond quickly to their needs, so that they know you value their time.
Personalise Your Approach
No one wants to feel like they are just another number, a nuisance, or a burden… and to leave your business a scathing review. Customers want to interact with another person, not a brand or business.
Humans remember bad experiences more than good ones, and you don’t want your business linked with a bad memory.
It’s important to identify who you’re talking to, identify and monitor their needs, tailor your services to their expectations. Does your customer feel heard? Have you added a personal touch to show you understand them?
How well do you know your products and services?
A huge part of customer service is guiding people to the product or service that’s best for them.
To be able to do this, you need to know all the features and uses of the product or service. What does it provide above and beyond other competitors?
Researching the market is essential – you need to know the industry trends to give tailored recommendations and bring “ideal” customers into your business.
How efficient are your business tools?
People’s decisions change quickly, so you need to be able to give them what they need quickly.
A big part of service efficiency is having the right technology. Businesses are operating online more and more these days, and its essential to have digital business tools that let you operate and support your business online, remotely from home.
This tech includes:
- website chat systems
- an email system to record customer details
- SMS and phone support systems
- a shared knowledge platform to streamline customer conversations and service
Learn how to improve your customer service
Good training on the latest technology and customer service procedures can help small businesses anywhere in the country and now there are opportunities to become a Virtual Assistant providing Customer Service and Sales Tasks.
The Pre-Sales Customer Service Training, and Business Opportunity teaches you how to provide remote customer service and sales tasks as a Virtual Assistant working from home.
Learn how to ask the right kind of questions, document customer information and connect customers with solutions provided by your clients. Be more confident, productive, and efficient in your own business from home.